Triumphant Return For Francona – MLB Roundup For May 24th

UNDATED (AP) — It was like old times for manager Terry Francona as he sat in a Fenway Park dugout and watched his team dismantle the opposition. This time, he was doing it in the visiting dugout.

The former Red Sox skipper was a winner in his return to Boston as Drew Stubbs and Mark Reynolds each drove in three runs to lead Cleveland’s 12-3 assault on the Bosox. Francona received a standing ovation after the first inning during a video tribute on the center-field scoreboard, 20 months after he was fired by the Red Sox.

Every Cleveland starting batter had a hit and all except Jason Kipnis scored. Carlos Santana reached base five times with a single and four walks. The Indians also scored the last eight runs to turn it into a laugher.

Zach McAllister allowed three runs and five innings as the Indians improved to 22-9 in their last 31 games.

Cleveland’s lead in the AL Central remains a half-game over Detroit after the Tigers came back from a 6-3 deficit to beat Minnesota 7-6. Prince Fielder singled home the tiebreaking run in the bottom of the eighth after hitting an RBI single in the Tigers’ three-run seventh.

Detroit third baseman Miguel Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the first inning and now leads the league with 55 RBIs and a .391 batting average.

Elsewhere in the majors, Andrew McCutchen went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI singles as the Bucs doubled up the Chicago Cubs 4-2. Starling Marte singled and scored in each of the first two innings to help the Pirates win for the 11th time in 13 games.

Edwin Encarnacion (ehn-kahr-nah-see-ohn) belted his fifth career grand slam and J.P. Arencibia (ar-ehn-SEE’-bee-uh) added a two-run blast and four RBIs in Toronto’s 12-6 pounding of Baltimore. Orioles starter Kevin Gausman was roughed up in his major league debut, surrendering four runs and seven hits in five innings.

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies have placed second baseman Chase Utley on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique that could keep the five-time All-Star out for four weeks.

Phils general manager Ruben Amaro says the team is being cautious with the injury so it doesn’t remain an issue throughout the season.

Utley is batting .272 with seven homers and 25 RBIs. Freddy Galvis has replaced him in the starting lineup.

Also in the majors, injured New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira could soon start playing in minor league games. The All-Star has been out since injuring his right wrist in early March while with the U.S. team preparing for the World Baseball Classic. Teixeira has been taking part in simulated games this week at the Yankees’ minor league complex.

The Blue Jays are promoting left-hander Sean Nolin to make his major league debut Friday night against the Baltimore Orioles. The sixth-round pick in the 2010 draft is 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in three games for Double-A New Hampshire this year after going 10-0 with a 2.04 earned run average in 20 games in “A” ball last season.

Seattle has sent slumping catcher Jesus Montero to Triple-A Tacoma to work on his hitting. Montero is batting .208 with three homers and nine RBIs while splitting time with Kelly Shoppach (SHAHP’-ak).

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